ESD Systems - Questions And Answers

A couple years ago I purchased Dissipative Tote Bins w/covers through the advice of Quality Assurance. I recently had an ESD Audit and the auditor stated that the boxes are not safe to transport my devices (Class 0). Before I go out and replace my tote bins with Conductive, I would like to know whether dissipative totes are ineffective to protect our devices? - Anonymous, Lowell, MA

Very good question. The advantages of a dissipative tote v. a conductive tote. A dissipative tote is actually safer than a conductive tote because any charge on the surface will be dissipate at a controlled rate when grounded and not cause an ESD event as a conductive material may. The reason the auditor may have said that the conductive tote should be used in place of a dissipative tote is for the Faraday Cage Affect that will protect the contents from stray or unwanted electric fields and hence minimize charge induction to the ESDS class 0 components within. But, if the lid to the tote is not sealed properly or electrically connected to the tote box, then the Faraday Cage Affect is jeopardized. It is safer to store or transport these devices in a sealed metallized shielding bag, which is then known to be an excellent Faraday Cage for class 0 devices.

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